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__________________The Three Word Story Pledge of Allegiance- "I Hereby swear upon Engelbert's grave that I will gallop, not stride run, not walk posting three words on Shemp's honor, honoring: bananas, dwarfs, clarinets, [the 7th naughty forum word], haggis, Batman, nuns, wombats until such time as I'm sober. Or dead."
"Some people have a way with words, other people...Um...Oh...Uh, not have way." -Steve Martin

Randi owes us nothing. JREF, the status of which is unclear as far as I can tell, owes us nothing.

I appreciate the years they hosted the forum. I appreciate icerat taking up the forum when JREF/Randi felt they couldn't continue. When someone provides me with something for free I try to not be too critical of them.

James Randi is not the same thing as JREF. One is a retired person and the other is an organisation.

I think there's sufficient evidence that James Randi pretty much WAS the JREF. There's essentially no JREF without him, as we can see. The idea that someone could take on the mantle and maintain the foundation was pretty much abandoned when they couldn't find a successor with enough glitter dust to gain automatic media attention.

'Cuz that's what Randi had. It's not an accident that serious supporters wanted to see a Penn Gillette or Banacek or Chris Angel step into his shoes. Those folks know how to get themselves booked onto shows; not just discussion panels at the Seventh Annual Atheist Symposium of Springfield. Randi could call up Anderson Cooper or Johnny Carson and get a slot. He could announce a press conference to take on some bete noir and Larry King would happily have him on to explain it. Those three doods I mentioned could also do that (Hell, Gillette has his own production company). DJ and other names floated about? Not so much.

__________________Ha! Foolmewunz has just been added to the list of people who aren't complete idiots. Hokulele

It's not that liberals have become less tolerant. It's that conservatives have become more intolerable.

I think there's sufficient evidence that James Randi pretty much WAS the JREF. There's essentially no JREF without him, as we can see. The idea that someone could take on the mantle and maintain the foundation was pretty much abandoned when they couldn't find a successor with enough glitter dust to gain automatic media attention.

'Cuz that's what Randi had. It's not an accident that serious supporters wanted to see a Penn Gillette or Banacek or Chris Angel step into his shoes. Those folks know how to get themselves booked onto shows; not just discussion panels at the Seventh Annual Atheist Symposium of Springfield. Randi could call up Anderson Cooper or Johnny Carson and get a slot. He could announce a press conference to take on some bete noir and Larry King would happily have him on to explain it. Those three doods I mentioned could also do that (Hell, Gillette has his own production company). DJ and other names floated about? Not so much.

Pretty much this. I was absolutely not having a go at Randi himself, he has more than done his bit.

I just think that it appears JREF may die off for want of successors, and I have to hold my hands up because I have admitted that I have not visited for a long time.

Having said that I feel it did start to lose it's way a bit for instance with 'film reviews' along with continued attacks on 'Sylvia', who I think had become an irrelevance except for her most rabid supporters.

Pretty much this. I was absolutely not having a go at Randi himself, he has more than done his bit.

I just think that it appears JREF may die off for want of successors, and I have to hold my hands up because I have admitted that I have not visited for a long time.

Having said that I feel it did start to lose it's way a bit for instance with 'film reviews' along with continued attacks on 'Sylvia', who I think had become an irrelevance except for her most rabid supporters.